Following the confirmation of the first case of mpox in Reunion Island, Health Minister Stéphanie Rist, questioned on Tuesday in the National Assembly, wished to "reassure" the inhabitants of the island about the anticipation measures taken by the health authorities to avoid an epidemic.
“Reunion Island has already paid the price for delays during Covid,” MP Karine Lebon (GDR) challenged her. “Logistics and responsiveness have too often been a struggle, and last year’s chikungunya epidemic showed how quickly a health crisis can overwhelm a region. Today, this first case of measles must remain a warning sign, not the starting point of an uncontrolled epidemic,” she added.
The elected official from Réunion also stressed that "transparency protects, it prevents uncertainty from taking hold, it puts an end to fantasies and rumors."
Formerly known as monkeypox, pox is mainly characterized by a high fever and skin lesions, called vesicles.
This case of medox - diagnosed in a person returning from Madagascar - was "placed in isolation and taken care of very quickly" and, "as we speak, there are no secondary cases", in view of a health investigation carried out in parallel, the minister replied during questions to the government.
But "healthcare professionals have been alerted" and "the preparedness plan in Réunion is fully operational," assured Stéphanie Rist. This means that there are "verified vaccine stocks" sufficient for potential "targeted vaccination" in the event of contact cases or within a specific vulnerable population, "a good number of diagnostic tests are available," and information is being provided to travelers, particularly those coming from the region, she explained.
"So I think we can reassure the people of Reunion Island about this case which, I hope, will remain isolated," concluded this doctor by profession.
Pox, caused by a virus in the same family as smallpox, is no longer a "public health emergency" in Africa, the African Union health agency said on Saturday, pointing to the decline in cases and deaths on the continent.
In early September 2025, the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced that it was no longer a global health emergency, while warning that this "does not mean that the threat has ended, nor that our response will stop."
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